Animalistic Tendencies
by Usagisama68
Summary: Midorikawa has no memories from when he was little, and has been experiencing the same recurring nightmare for the past few weeks. Inazuma Japan are called together for a training camp, but with people dying of suspected animal attacks each night and Midorikawa's dream becoming increasingly more vivid, will they discover the truth before it's too late?
1. The Experiment

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! **This story is meant to be an AU of Akirafanatic's "Experiments" and as such this first chapter was written by her, not me. This fic is about what would have happened if Midorikawa had been found in the forest instead of being left there survive. I have her permission to do this, so please no messages claiming that I stole her story or something like that. After this chapter everything written will be my own.

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Thanks for taking to time to read this! It's my first fanfic and what better way to start off then with Inazuma Eleven? I will warn you though, this story is going to have dark themes so if you looking for a happy, feel good fic you might as well leave now. I'd appreciate it if you didn't though ;)

**Warnings:** Child abuse (past), slight gore, mental instability... that's it for now. I'll update it if anything else happens. Don't worry, this won't all be doom and gloom! There'll be plenty of lighthearted, fluffy friendship and 'aww' factors in here as well.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any part of Inazuma Eleven. Credit for the first chapter and original concept goes towards Akirafanatic, but anything written after this chapter is mine unless I say otherwise.

Please enjoy!

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"Are you sure about this sir?" Asked a young man in his late twenties. He had black hair and dark brown eyes with a slightly pudgy stature and glasses perched on his nose. "I mean, what would your wife think? He's-"

"My wife is dead," Another man snapped. He was tall and had long black hair tied into a low ponytail with equally black eyes that sent shivers down the first mans spine when they were directed his way. "The police are almost on us and this will be the last test we will be able to do. There is no time to find another."

"But he's y-"

"I don't care. He will help further the advancement of science, even if it means his life." The man turned and swept away, his white lab coat furling out at he did so. The first man sighed and shook his head before following.

They passed through the long, brightly lit hallway. Down passed many doors, the faint screams that had always been heard were now silent, making the man shiver from the unnatural silence. He hurried his steps to catch up with the taller, slightly older male ahead of him.

A few moments of walking later found the two men inside a brightly lit lab, filled with cells lining opposite walls. In the middle sat two operating tables, above which sat more lights for the scientists to properly see by. Three others were waiting in the room, two of which were double and triple checking the equipment while the third was going over notes and formulas.

They all looked up from their work and bowed to the man before going back to their work. After a brief nod in their direction the man strode forward to one of the two tables, upon which sat a young boy no older than five. He looked up at the man and smiled, holding out his arms and saying, "Daddy!"

The man gave the boy a pat on the head before coaxing him to lie down. While confused, the boy complied, wishing to make is father happy. "Daddy?" The boy asked when his father put straps over the boy to hold him down. "What you doing?"

The man didn't answer but turned to the others in the room. "Are we ready?" He asked.

"Everything seems to be in correct order sir," One of the men who were checking over the equipment stated. The one looking over the notes nodded, signaling that he was ready as well.

"Very well," The man nodded, "Then let us delay no further." He put on gloves and a surgical mask before holding out his hand. The slightly pudgy man from before quickly took a bottle and swabs from one of the multiple trays set up and handed them to the man.

"Daddy?" The boy asked, starting to get scared on what was going to happen. His heart started racing in fear when he saw his father holding a syringe. "D-Daddy?" The boy stuttered in fear and started squirming to try and get out of the restraints holding him down.

As the needle got closer, the boy started struggling harder, tears welling u pin his eyes. "Daddy!" He screamed. The man grabbed the boys arm and held it as he inserted the needle.

As soon as the needle came into contact, the boy started screaming. His thrashing grew wilder and tears streamed down his face. Even as the man removed the needle, the boy kept screaming. "STOP! DAD! STOP! PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!" He screamed. All the men in the room watched, none lifting a finger as the boy kept screaming and thrashing about.

Only after near an hour or screaming and struggling did the boy finally quiet down to gasps and sobs. The men shifted and muttered to each other, waiting to see if this one, unlike all the others, would end in a success.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"Is this the place?" A young officer asked his superior as they gazed at the vast building surrounded by forest and nearly hidden under the thick coating of moss and roots that grew along its walls.

The older man nodded and motioned for the small group to follow him as he entered the door. They'd been closing in on this place for the past two months, and were finally able to discern the exact location.

The officers crept along the hallways that seemed eerily silent. The head officer motioned for two others to split from the group and make their way down a smaller hallway to check for anyone who might be alive.

At the same time, he led the group further along the hallway and toward the door at the end of the hall. It was just an ordinary steel door, but the head officers' stomach dropped when he'd first looked at it, telling him that something was _wrong_ with it. As he neared it, he signaled the others to stop while he listened for anything that might sound out of place.

When he didn't hear anything, he slowly pushed the door open, keeping a wary eye out for anything that might jump at them. Only when he was sure there was nothing did he open the door fully to see what appeared to be an examination room.

"Check the place out men," He called, "Look for any survivors."

As the men fanned out and began their search, he headed for the computers that had been smashed. A quick search found there was nothing worth taking back. He shook his head and turned when he heard an officer announce there was nothing left.

"Let's head back men," He said, "There's-"He was cut off by a distant shout and gunfire. Without a word, he and the others in the room sprinted toward the noise. Just as they rounded the corner to the hallway he'd send the other two officers, everything became deathly still once more.

The officers crept forward silently as they listened for any sign of their comrades. A slight shuffling sound was head and the head officer led the group to the door, motioning them to be silent. He slowly inched the door open as he'd done with the door to the lab, waiting to make sure everything was alright before he entered. Once the door was open, however, all he could do was stare at the grim sight that met his eyes.

Both officers he'd sent to check this hallway were lying dead in pools of their blood, their throats ripped out and faces full of scars that were still oozing blood. A low growl from his right snapped him out of his slight daze over the horrid scene and he quickly reached for his gun at the same time something knocked him to the ground.

Searing pain in his right arm forced him to drop his gun. Without seeing what had him pinned, he used his left like a bat and swung it down onto whatever had his arm. He heard his men swearing as they tried to peel the creature off of him.

After much swearing and beating, the creature finally let go and retreated into a corner. As it sat growling and snarling, one officer knelt down and asked, "Are you alright sir?"

"I'm fine. What in God's name was that thing?"

He looked over as a flashlight was turned on and aimed toward the creature that had attacked him. As he got his first real look at it, his breath caught in his throat. The so called _creature_ that had attacked him was no more than a child. Shoulder-length, tangled green hair and deep black eyes ringed with a blood red color were the first things that registered.

As his gaze traveled down, he saw the boys' nose and mouth covered in blood that was dripping down onto the floor. As he growled once more, rows of sharp teeth were made visible. He was dressed in what appeared to be a torn and bloody hospital gown a size or two too big. He was down on his hands and knees. When the officer looked closer, he found instead of nails, the boy had _claws_.

He heard muttered prays and curses alike from what remained of his men as they all got a look at the poor child.

"What sort of sick and twisted bastard…"The officer by his side mumbled.

"The same bastard who killed all the others and we've been hunting for the past God damn year," Another answered and spat on the floor.

As though it had been a sign to move, the boy leapt forward and would have taken another officer to the grave had he not have moved out of the way quick enough. Before anyone could blink, the child was out the door and bolting away.

"Let him be!" The head officer yelled as he struggled to his feet with the help of another, "He's already killed two. I don't need more deaths. We'll call for reinforcements later. For now let's get these two," He jerked his head toward the dead officers, "Out of here and into some body bags."

The others cursed a bit more but moved to retrieve their fallen comrades as ordered.

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**And that's it! Don't forget to review and leave your opinions on this. **

**Although remember that this is Akira's chapter, but I can pass on any compliments and criticisms you have. **

**I'm the kind of person who will keep putting off a project unless people nag/want more. In which case I hate to disappoint ^_^ So please do comment. I hope you enjoyed this! Second chapter (my chapter! Yay!) will be posted soon.**


	2. Awakening

This chapteris entirely mine! Yay! I apolgise if it's not up to the same standard as the previous one, I consider Akira to be a more experience writer then I am. But I you like it and I'll welcome any feedback you have.

**Warnings:** Child abuse (past), slight gore, mental instability... that's it for now. I'll update it if anything else happens. Don't worry, this won't all be doom and gloom! There'll be plenty of lighthearted, fluffy friendship and 'aww' factors in here as well.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any part of Inazuma Eleven. Credit for the first chapter and original concept goes towards Akirafanatic, but anything written after this chapter is mine unless I say otherwise.

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_It woke up to the sound of men's voices. Both were speaking words it couldn't understand, although it could hear them perfectly. How did it get here? The world before then was blank, as if it didn't exist._

_Acting upon instinct, it lifted its nose and started sniffing the surroundings for any recognisable smell. A flurry of strong, unnatural scents surrounded it, causing it to snarl with newfound agitation. Fear. Death. Blood._

_Escape. Letting out a rabid growl, it started clawing and biting at the restraints stopping it from leaving. The voices in the background faltered and were replaced by hurried footsteps, but it was too focused on his task to care._

_Just as it managed to tear through the final restraint, the door opened and two men entered, blocking the only exit out of this hated room._

_"S-Sir! I think-" Without hesitation, it leapt off of the table and lunged at the first human it laid eyes upon, automatically finding and sinking its teeth into the softest part of the man's flesh. "it wo-aghh!"_

_The scientist's screams turned to desperate gurgles as it relished in the taste of his blood. So warm..._

_"Ryuuji! Stop this!" It turned and growled at the human that dared to interrupt its feeding time. However, the moment it saw the man in question and inhaled his scent, it let out a whine and shrunk back to the corner of the room. This human...! Everything about him screamed hurt and death. But also... it couldn't place its feelings for this human, but it knewit couldn't kill him like the other one._

_"Ryuuji! Calm down! I won't hurt you...!" Ryuuji? What's a Ryuuji? The human's voice sounded kind, but it could sense an evil and deceptive undertone. No, it would not let himself to get captured and locked up again!_

_"That's it, Ryuu-!?" The man recoiled as it bit into his outstretched hand and pulled away on reflex. Seeing its chance, it jumped on the man, knocking him into the cold operating table and bolted out the now clear doorway._

_Beyond the tiny room was no different. Still those unnatural smells. Still no outside. Still no freedom._

_It ran frantically up and down the corridors, searching for an exit. After what seemed like an eternity it heard them. Voices. Were more men coming to lock it up? No. It wouldn't allow that._

_Following its instincts, it grew steadily closer to the source of the disturbance. They hadn't even noticed it yet, so as soon as it crept close enough it pounced upon the closest man, replicating its attack on the scientist not long ago._

_Loud, piercing bangs assaulted its sensitive ears, causing it to wince and blindly attack the cause of its discomfort._

_When the second man had stopped moving, it stalked around the room and sniffed, searching for any other signs of danger. Wait. What was that? They're quieter than the previous humans, but its sensitive hearing managed to pick up the voices in time._

_It watched as more and more humans entered the room. Too many. There were too many for it to fight. Its only option was to escape before they lock it up again._

_One of them grew too close to its fallen prey and instincts kicked in before it could consciously react. Growling, it attacked, intending to tear apart the one who tried to steal its kills._

_This human must have better instincts than the others, as it only managed bite a chunk out of his arm. The human and his pack began attacking it back with sticks and loud voices._

_Not worth it. It knew when it was outnumbered and so retreated back to its corner, hoping the bad humans would leave. Suddenly, it was blinded by white light and snarled; frightened but unable to move._

_The men began making speaking words that confused it, not yet familiar with human speech. It stayed where it was, watching the humans for any sign that they would hurt it some more. One of the men made a sudden movement, spooking it into thinking that they were about to attack._

_Before the nasty humans could begin their assault, it streaked past them and down the now deserted hallway. It could have let out a cry of relief when it saw the forest at the end of the passage._

_The trees were calling it, beckoning it back to the wild where it belonged. As it bounded through the door fresh scents surrounded it. These scents weren't unnatural or scary; they were welcoming and new._

_It spent the next few hours running, wanting to get as far away from that scary place as possible. But now it couldn't run anymore. It was tired. It just wanted to curl up and go to sleep in the safety of the surrounding forest._

_Hidden amongst some bushes to stop unwanted predators finding it, the creature lay down on a patch of leaves and replayed that day's events. Its first day of existence hadn't gone well, but it knew that everything would be okay now that it was free. _

_Little did it know._

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**Please leave a review/comment saying what you thought of this chapter. As it's my first actual chapter, I'm curious to know what everyone thinks.  
**


	3. Lost and Found

**Warnings:** Child abuse (past), slight gore, mental instability... that's it for now. I'll update it if anything else happens. Don't worry, this won't all be doom and gloom! There'll be plenty of lighthearted, fluffy friendship and 'aww' factors in here as well.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any part of Inazuma Eleven. Credit for the first chapter and original concept goes towards Akirafanatic, but anything written after chapter 1 is mine unless I say otherwise.

Chapter 3 is up! Thank you _Monolaymoo_ and _Akirafanfatic_ for reviewing :) Many thanks to everyone else who read the first chapters.

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**Chapter 3: Lost and Found**

"Why did I let you drag me out here again?" A man in his early twenties complained, leaning against a tree to regain his breath. The woman in front of him rolled her eyes and ploughed ahead, used to her fiancé's grumblings by now.

"Because you needed a break. You've been spending too much time in that cramped office lately, this is a chance for some fresh air." Seeming impatient, the woman grabbed the man by his arm and forced him to keep moving. "Plus you could use the exercise."

"Hanako, wildlife is _your_ job. Mine is to stay in that 'cramped office' and type; books don't just write themselves. Unless, of course, you'd enjoy poverty. " He kept on walking, waiting for his partner to continue their banter always. When he received no response, the man turned only to find her a few metres behind, staring vaguely into the forest. "Hana-"

"Shh! Adrian, do you hear that?" Confused, Adrian remained silent but only managed to pick up the bittersweet sound of bird song.

"I can't hear a thing. Darling, I think you might be hear-"

"There it is again!" She cut him off, still staring at a perfectly normal looking bush with an intensity he rarely saw in her. Well, not like this anyway. She seemed almost scared of what she thought was in there, although didn't seem to be on the defensive. "I think it's coming from over there. Come closer and listen."

Frowning at his partners antics, Adrian walked over the her and, after a few seconds of silence, heard what sounded like a faint whimper. "That's odd. Wait here, I'll go check it out." Grabbing a stick, he inched closer the bush and peered behind it. Whatever he had expected to find, it wasn't this.

Taking in her lovers facial expression, Hanako felt a stone drop into her stomach at her worse fears being realised. Hastily she followed him and couldn't help but let out a gasp at the sight before her.

Lying curled up in the grass was a very small, vulnerable looking child. Every inch of him was covered in dirt, but you could still make out striking green hair. Because of their location, Hanako's first thought was that this child was another suicide victim, before realising that he was much too young. How did he get here? Was he lost? That seemed unrealistic as it looked like he'd been there for hours and no-one's reported him missing. They would have been told if a kid was lost in the forest when they'd first arrived.

Being unable to bear children herself, Hanako felt her heart break when the boy began shivering and wanted nothing more than to find the one's responsible. She wasn't an idiot, now that she was close enough the bruises were in plain view. And those were just the ones not covering in dirt. "You poor thing..." She whispered, then blinked in surprise when he began to move.

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Sleepily, Ryuuji opened one eye but closed it again as white light flooded into his vision. Feeling as though he'd been hit repeatedly with a jackhammer, he shifted and tried to find a more comfortable position to rest some more. However, as soon as he heard the unfamiliar voices talking mere inches away from him, all sleepiness was forgotten and he bolted upright.

Ignoring the pain the movement brought, he scrambled backwards until his back hit the trunk of an overly large tree that had provided shelter the night before. Wait, why was he here in the first place? Panicked at waking up in an unfamiliar environment, and scared of the two adult strangers in front of him, Ryuji eyed the two with guarded caution.

The people in question were just as surprised to see him run as he was to see them, and didn't dare get any closer in case they startled him more. Slowly, Hanako got down on one knee and spoke in her gentlest voice. "Shh, it's alright. We aren't going to hurt you. Do you know where you are?"

The woman's comforting voice relaxed Ryuuji somewhat, although it didn't stop his desire to escape. In the back of his mind, he saw images of being chased and locked up by some horrible people like them. Especially the man. Men meant trouble, and trouble meant pain. He had no idea how he knew this, but firmly believed in it. He should get out here!

The woman must have noticed the way he was eying her partner, as she turned to him and said, "Could you go back and get the car started? I'll handle it from here." Silently, the man stood up and nodded, wishing the woman 'good luck' before heading off in the opposite direction.

"There, now there's nothing here to be afraid of. My names Hanako, what's yours?" The woman sounded warm and inviting, nothing he thought adults would be.

"R-Ryuuji..." He mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear.

"Ryuuji? Well Ryuuji, do you have a last name?" He shook his head, calmer now that it was the just to two of them but still not trusting this stranger. What happened? He couldn't remember anything beyond his name and brief feelings, but he knew he couldn't go back to where he came from. Just the thought sent shivers down the five year olds spine.

The woman inched closer until she was just two meters away, and Ryuuji had to force himself not to run. This lady was kind, she was going to help. Not like those others he couldn't quite remember. Right?

"You're in Aokigahara forest, near Mount Fuji. Do you know how you got here?"

It took some time and gentle coaxing, but eventually Hanako managed to convince Ryuuji to come with her back into town. After a hospital visit, where it was assured that beyond bruising he was physically fine, a policeman came and questioned them both about how they'd found him and any indication of where his family might be. The mere sight of the officer had spooked the child for some reason, so all questioning had to be done through Hanako to whom Ryuuji had grown quite attached to.

"Ryuu, soon a nice lady is going to come and take you to your new home until your family is found. If the search is unsuccessful, then you'll be staying there permanently." At his confused expression Alice smiled. "It means you'll live there full time from now on."

"B-But I want to stay with you! All the others are scary..." He looked so helpless that she almost wished she could adopt him right there and then. But they didn't have the time or money to raise children at the moment, no matter how much she may want to. Adrian had only just proposed to her, children would be too much at this stage.

"But you'll be surrounded by children you own age. Won't it be nice to make some friends? I'm sure you'll be a lot happier over there. Don't worry, if you want I can come and visit you." Ryuuji was still unconvinced, but didn't want to make the one person he trusted angry. Besides, if Hanako told him so then it must be true! Right?

"O-Okay, I'll go. But you have to promise to visit! Promise?" Attempting to look serious, but only causing himself to be even cuter, he held out his pinkie finger to Alice, who laughed and did the same.

"Ah, that reminds me. We need to give you a proper last name. What would you like?" The child in question just shrugged and scrunched up his face in thought, looking down so that his green hair covered... green hair... "'Midori'...do you like green Ryuu?" At the boys exited nod, she smiled and ruffled his hair. "Thought so. But you can't just be called 'Midori'. How about 'Midorikawa'?" She proceeded to look him up and down. "Yep, you definitely look like a Midorikawa. What do you think?"

Ryuuji frowned in thought once again. "Midorikawa..." He mumbled, testing out the name. Honestly he was already willing to accept any name that Hanako decided to give him, but wanted to prolong with experience for a long as possible. Eventually, he looked up and smiled brightly at Hanako. "I'm Midorikawa Ryuuji!"

In the years that followed, Ryuji would build a new life for himself at Sun Garden and bury his scattered memories deep in his subconscious, believing them to have no significant meaning anymore. Alice kept her word and continuously came and visited, but after four years Adrian apparently got a huge promotion that meant they had to move to America. Despite this, Midorikawa Ryuji's life had taken a turn for the better, and it had looked like it would stay that way. But, little did anyone know life was about to get a lot more complicated for the children of both Sun Garden and Inazuma, and it all revolved around a certain green haired boy.


	4. The Dream

**Warnings:** Child abuse (past), slight gore, mental instability, death... that's it for now. I'll update it if anything else happens. Don't worry, this won't all be doom and gloom! There'll be plenty of lighthearted, fluffy friendship and 'aww' factors in here as well.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any part of Inazuma Eleven. Credit for the first chapter and original concept goes towards Akirafanatic, but anything written after chapter 1 is mine unless I say otherwise.

It's be a while, huh? Unfortunately since it's near to the end of the school year I've had GCSE exams, mocks and controlled assessments to worry and revise for. I won't lie there's been plentry of opportunities, but I hadn't felt like it with everything else going on. Luckily, in two weeks time school finishes and I'll be able to update more often. I'm planning on releasing a new chapter every week during the summer to make up for the lack of updates now. Sorry this chapter isn't too long, but I wanted to give you guys something after so long.

So enjoy!

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_He was running frantically though a forest, tearing through the branches that blocked his path and away from something. It was still after him, he could feel it! It's anger, need and glee at the chase washing over him as if it were his own feelings. But they weren't, and no matter how long he ran or how well he hid... it would find him. There was nothing he could do except run and pray that it would give up. The creature behind him always kept to the shadows, never letting him see it's face. But sometimes, if he was lucky (or rather unlucky), the thing would slip up and he would catch a glimpse of snarling teeth or razor claws. _

_Panting desperately, he stumbled into a clearing and slumped against a rock, muscles screaming in protest after running for what seemed like an eternity. He couldn't go on. It always ended like this; he would eventually reach his limit and halt, allowing the monster to finally catch it's 'prey'. _

_All he heard was an echoing grown and maddened, back eyes before-_

Midorikawa awoke with a start, shaking and breathing heavily. It took a few seconds for him to realise that he was safe in his room and not lost in the woods. Sighing in relief, he lay back down and snuggled into his covers again, attempting to rid his mind of the familiar nightmare.

He'd been having these same dreams for the past few weeks, but couldn't figure out what was causing them. Each time he closed his eyes, he would find himself in the middle of nowhere with every one of his senses yelling at him to run from an invisible predator.

But there was no point in worrying about it now, as he didn't even need to look at the clock to know that it was almost time to get up. For some reason, he always woke up at the same time each morning, despite never setting an alarm clock. It was unusual as he never used to be such a scheduled sleeper, but he supposed he should be grateful. At least he wasn't exhausted during the day, despite his nightly demons. Or rather demon. Maybe that's why no-one ever noticed anything wrong.

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"And there goes the final whistle! The winners of the first match for this year's Football Frontier are none other than the previous champions, Raimon Junior High! Will captain Endou Mamoru once again lead the team to victory in this..." Midorikawa couldn't help but feel sorry for Raimon's opponents, who were just beaten into the ground on national television. Not literally, Raimon's soccer wasn't like that, but with a score of 5 – 0 you can bet they wouldn't be too happy.

It almost didn't seem fair to him as half of Inazuma Japan attended Raimon Junior High; so any team that went against them in the prelims were sure to lose spectacularly.

"That was disappointing. Raimon completely wiped the floor with those morons." Growled Burn from the kitchen, annoyed at having to stay and watch such an uneventful game. "I doubt those newbie's can even dribble the ball in a straight line, forget about winning."

Gazel smirked from his chair and didn't even look up when he replied. "At yet they could still wipe the floor with you."

"Watch it Ice Princess! At least I wasn't thrashed by Raimon three times in a row."

"No, just two. And if I had been alone I would have won that time for sure."

Midorikawa sighed and shot a glare at Saginuma who'd brought them all together. The black-haired goalkeeper had announced at breakfast that everyone wasn't spending enough time together, and thought up this 'genius plan' for everyone to watch the first FF match. Saginuma just wanted what was best for everyone, but can sometimes misjudge how to go about it. So, that was why half of Sun Garden were herded into the entertainment room that afternoon. Everyone had stopped watching after the first ten minutes and were now talking among themselves, not wanting to face the wrath of 'Desarm' should they try to leave. Hiroto and the former Genesis had already planned a training day, and so managed to escape with an excuse. Midorikawa tried to suppress the feeling of disappointment he got when he remembered the redhead wasn't here. He would have made this whole day somewhat bearable.

The familiar voice of his former teammate, Nanakaze, brought him back to reality. "Ryuuji, shouldn't you be leaving about now? I don't think Coach Kudou would appreciate you being late." For a split second, Midorikawa looked confused before remembering the message he'd received that morning.

"Ah, I'd completely forgotten! Thanks for reminding me." As with almost everyone in Sun Garden, they'd known each other since they were children and shared a close bond. She was one of the first children to make friends with him when he first came to Sun Garden, along with Hiroto. Most of the others gave up when it was obvious he didn't want to talk to, well, anyone.

Glancing at the clock, he was relieved to see that he still had enough time to get to Inazuma without running late. Hiroto was going to meet him there. Not for the first time that he, he wondered why Kudou had called everyone so suddenly.

* * *

Standing in front of Raimon Junior High, Midorikawa couldn't help but feel a slight pang of guilt at what happened the first time he was here. No-one held it against him or blamed him for destroying their school, but that didn't make it any less wrong.

"Midorikawa! You were called to?" Endou Mamoru was running towards him with Kazemaru, Kidou and Goenji following at a more relaxed pace. A few seconds later he was next to Midorikawa, panting from the journey but grinning happily. "It's been ages! Hiroto's come round to visit a few times but you're always too busy. Is everything alright?"

I looked away, not meeting the goalkeepers eye. "Yeah, schools been a bit hectic for all of us since we missed so much of it, so I haven't had much time to come all the way down here. Sorry. I'll try to come more often." His thoughts drifted back to the nightmares, which have haunted his dreams almost nightly these past few weeks.

Endou frowned for a few seconds before shaking his head and smiling, obviously keeping his thoughts to himself. It seemed like Midorikawa was hiding something, but didn't want to push the matter further in case it made the green haired midfielder uncomfortable. Maybe Hiroto knew something.

By this time, the others had caught up to them and, after exchanging greetings, decided to talk on the way to the clubroom to avoid being late. Kidou kept shooting concerned glances his way, putting Midorikawa on edge. The genius game maker had a tendency to notice things other people usually overlooked.

Luckily, they soon arrived at their destination and were surprised to see the rest of Inazuma Japan present. Even weirder, people like Tsunami who lived further away were carrying bags like they were going to be staying here for a while. Thing is, they looked as confused as everyone else.

As we approached them everyone rushed over to Endou and started shooting question after question, probably assuming that the captain knew why they were here. Endou, on the other hand, looked thoroughly confused and slightly overwhelmed at all the sudden attention.

"Guys, I only know as much as you! Is the Coach here yet?"

Midorikawa blocked out the commotion and instead focussed of finding a mop of red hair amongst the players. Hiroto should be there by now.

He must have been looking in the wrong direction, because suddenly all the light got cut off as someone covered his eyes. A welcomed voice greeted him. "Three guesses." He teased.

Playing along, Midorikawa put on his best thinking face. Not that you could see it through Hiroto's hands. "Burn? You have that same arrogant presence."

A pause. "I'm not arrogant!"

"Sure sure, keep telling yourself that." Midorikawa laughed, finally pulling his hands away and turning to look his best friend. His breath caught in his throat as he realised that we were mere inches apart, and quickly took a few steps back. The redhead, on the other hand, just looked amused.

"Burn? Well they _do _look similar." Tsunami smirked, coming over. "Long time no see. I don't get many visitors in Okinawa, so this is the first time I've seen everyone in weeks."

"Well not many people can afford to visit Okinawa every weekend." Hiroto pointed out. "And why do you have all that stuff Tsunami?" Indeed, the surfer looked like he'd packed to go on a long holiday.

Tsunami shrugged and leaned on his surfboard. Maybe they really were staying here for a while if Tsunami even brought his surfboard. Not that he'd have a chance to use it here, but he never left home for long periods of time without it. "Coach Kudou contacted me few days ago and told me to come down here and bring enough clothes for two weeks. And here I was hoping to spend the holidays on the waves!"

"It's the same for me," said Fubuki. "But he didn't tell us why we needed to come. Judging from everyone here, it's something to do with Inazuma Japan. A training camp, maybe?"

"That's right." The coach's sudden voice caused everyone to jump and turn around to face him. Unsurprisingly, it was Endou who broke the silent.

"Training camp? But Coach, Football Frontiers just started! Why now?" Kudou remained silent, waiting for one of the team to figure it out.

Frowning, Midorikawa thought back to the match he'd seen this morning. Raimon had easily beat the other team, but the new players who had joined that year didn't get the opportunity to properly play. Maybe...

"I see." Everyone turned to Kidou who seemed to have figured something out. "Your right, Coach. This is the best time to do it." The rest of the team waited for an explanation, except Goenji, Kazemaru and Fudou who had also worked it out. Wait a second, Midorikawa did a double take. When did Fudou get here? Granted, the aloof midfielder usually kept to himself but the thought of him being there without him noticing sent chills down the young boys spine.

Kidou sighed and explained to the rest of the team. "Since FFI Raimon has gotten a whole bunch of new players. Well, because we're so good they're not getting a chance to experience a proper game and tournament for themselves. So if Inazuma Japan left the team for the prelims, those new players get a chance to play. Is that is coach? I expect the other countries are already training for next year, so we need to improve as well."

Kudou just nodded, facing everyone. "Training will begin tomorrow afternoon. I expect you all to be at the school by midday. I've already cleared it with your parents. Those of you who do not live locally can stay here for the night. Room assignments are on the door. That is all." Without saying another word, Kudou retreated in the main building leaving an air of excitement in the team behind him.

Midorikawa himself smiled, happy that he'd be able to spend more time with his friends from Inazuma Japan. He just hoped the nightmares decrease now that he's here. Training will be hard enough without being exhausted from lack of sleep.

* * *

The metallic thud of the door sliding shut was what notified the rooms occupant of the uninvited guest. Trained hands tightened around a cable in annoyance before reminding himself not to snap at his boss. But seriously, was it that hard to knock? This was the fourth 'visit' today and if he ever wanted his little 'machine' to be finished he had better stop causing all these interruptions. Sighing, the self-proclaimed Inventor carefully put the volatile wires down.

"How much longer until it's ready?" The Boss asked, eyeing the almost complete machine with barely concealed anticipation.

"If you keep disrupting my work? Never." The Inventor grumbled. Sensing the other man's annoyance, he sighed again and turned to face the middle-aged man. "It's mostly finished, however what's left requires a lot of caution and time to set up properly. If I work through the night, I could have it ready and working by tomorrow afternoon."

The Boss chuckled, a sadistic glint appearing in his eyes that caused the Inventor to back up a few steps. "Good. Then tomorrow I'll put my plans into motion. Soon you will be mine, Ryuuji."

* * *

**Three guesses for the boss's identity? :P I suck at subtlety. Please review! Pressure makes me work faster, so if I know people are following this story I'll want to update quicker. I'd still update anyway, just not as fast :3  
**


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